Five Things I Never Seem to Have Enough Of:
1. Sharpie markers (where do they all go?)
2. quarters for parking meters
3. hours of sleep
4. milk chocolate Hobnobs
5. wrap dresses with midriff detail (see below)
So cute! I love the yellow backed with gray; not just because I love that color combination, but also because it looks like the flannel backing you find underneath ceramics. Like she has a right and a wrong side, and the wrong side is padded to reduce scratches.
The pattern's up on eBay now (click the image to visit the auction). B34. I'd bid myself but I'm Not Buying Patterns right now; at least not until I get mine all organized (now there's a topic for Mr. Mann) and figure out what I actually have. I did the first batch last night and it feels very odd to divorce the pattern envelopes from the innards … even though I know it's for their own good. And mine.
But, seriously, if anyone can tell me where all my Sharpie markers go, I'd really appreciate it. I swear, I feel like I buy a couple every month! The green ones seem to hang around the longest, but black ones disappear in a heartbeat.
(And if you're not reading Merlin Mann's 5ives, well, why not?)
A Dress A Day 
Love this neckline, and did you notice how the shoulders are cut to give a little more coverage in the shoulder/armhole area?Surely you are going to make one of these? Please? It would require major girdle action if I tried it.Drop by and visit me, I think we have a lot in common.www.retrograce.blogspot.com
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I love it…it is very your style…speaking of your style – weren’t you supposed to show us pictures of finished projects? How about making February “show and tell” on dressaday?
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I’m working on it! I have something on the dress form, ready to photograph …
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I love Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down.
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Is it just me… or is this the opposite of the Retro Butterick Wrap Dress? http://www.dressaday.com/2006/05/its-baaaaaaaack.htmlI have that pattern and really want to make it… however, at this point I seem to just collect patterns and fabric. No actual sewing ever occurs.
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Did it ever occur to you that the style of dresses you like are basically dirndls?
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I like the blue one with dots … just because I love that color…
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Where do all the hobnobs go?! Mine disappear in a heartbeat. I love love love hobnobs…and your blog. š
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You do realise Erin, that the rings around Saturn are made up of lost pens and single socks that have been lost in the wash!
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There will never be enough HobNobs to satisfy my insatiable hunger for them. Hands down, best thing ever!
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I always *mean* to but a bunch of those little Sharpies that are meant to hang from a cord or I.D. badge. Every time I look I can find the purples and oragnges in those little POP displays, but never the black!
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Gorgeous – and already highly bid-on. I also like the gray and yellow but because I DO like that color combination, it’s like when it’s sunny and raining at the same time. And thanks for the link to the 5ives, they made me laugh out loud. I think I’m going to try substitute in some of his faux swear words, especially futza mucker and sacka liquor.
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You divorce the pattern envelopes from their innards?! GASP! I wouldn’t dream of doing that!!! I photocopy mine and put the photocopies in plastic sleeves in a large binder broken down into categories, then file the patterns away in clear plastic boxes labeled with the specific categories. It helps that I do the photocopying on the sly at my place of employment, otherwise it’d probably cost a large chunk of change.
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Love sharpies! Always need quarters for laundry.
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My sharpies are always missing too. I like the idea of your filing system. Seems much better than my random box of patterns. I might have to borrow it. Love the blog!
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Erin…can you tell us (or link if you already have, and I’ve just forgotten) about your pattern filing system? I desperately need to get mine in order, and have searched the internets with no luck. Everyone I know seems to toss them in a box like I do. It makes it difficult to remember what I have, or when I do know, how to find it. I keep the pattern in the envelope until I use it, then into a big ziploc style baggie it goes with the envelope, and all into the ether that is my sewing closet.BTW, love the wrap dress…it does remind me of the McCall’s previously posted. I was picturing the yellow in a solid yellow, or yellow and white print with fine black gingham…giving the illusion of grey from afar.
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Your Sharpies all go to ::drumroll:: “The Land Of Lost Items” I already have a pattern piece there and a pillow and…and… ::sniff:: I want all my stuff to come back!
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Oooh, I just bought the Butterick vintage wrap dress (4790), but I like this one even better! I love that “mock pleat” in the back.
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Actually, I’ve just started to implement the organizing system suggested in the comments here … I got some big binders, and those transparent holder sheets that go in them. Plus a bunch of 7 x 10 ziplock bags from ULINE, and some short comics boxes. The system is: take pattern out of envelope, put in ziplock. Write pattern # and size on ziplock with Sharpie (size, too, because some patterns I have in multiple sizes). Put ziplock in numerical order in box. Put pattern envelope in sleeve, put in 3-ring binder.I figure when I have them all done I’ll sort out the binders by style and size; until then, well, I was going to rummage through all my boxes anyway, rummaging through a binder’s a lot easier, and tears the pattern envelopes less!So far the only snag is that the oversize pattern envelopes (10 x 13) don’t fit either place. But I don’t have all that many of those.
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*gasp* She’s got a stocking seam up the back of her leg!That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a stocking seam drawn into a pattern illustration.
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I don’t divorce my envelopes from the patterns. I use archival materials, and I take an archival bag, insert a backing board, then put the envelope in front of the board and the pattern behind the board, then seal the envelope with a removable sticker.An antiques dealer once contacted me with hundreds of 30s UNPRINTED patterns. He had taken all patterns out of the envelopes, then put those in one box and the patterns in the other. Can you say nightmare??? The tissue was unmarked – no numbers, no sizes. I was sick, I tell ya. I think about it, and I clutch my stomach!We have that pattern with the wrap at The Blue Gardenia, in case you give a hoot.This is the first time I’ve posted on a blog.
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So gorgeous! I can just picture wearing this on a spring day when there’s a gentle breeze in the air and the sun overhead…
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thanks for the organizing tips! I need to go through my patterns and do that. Right now they are in rubber maid totes, with me thinking “don’t I have such and such pattern?” then digging through totes and hit or miss luck in finding the pattern, if I did indeed own it.This will help immensely.And give me an excuse to go to the comic store.
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Keep up the great work. It very impressive. Enjoyed the visit!
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Thanks for the link to the 5ives, they made me laugh out loud.
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